I read this book. I did not enjoy the writing device used to tell the story. It was all in reverse, and that is not how things work in my world. I am not a particular fan of the author but liked what I read in the blurb. I wish it had been written another way. I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

I received this book from net galley for fair and impartial review.

Jodi Piccoult is known for addressing culturally controversial topics. In A Spark of Light, she tackles the issue of abortion by looking at it from multiple viewpoints, both pro and con, and even those who never really wanted to take a side. Piccoult is a master of presenting all sides of a story without entirely villainizing anyone, not even the "villains." I think Piccoult fans will still enjoy this one, though it is not my favorite. I felt it lacked a bit in character depth and development, as well as being somewhat predictable in its plot. While numbering chapters backward was unique, it wasn't a premise that worked for me with this particular story.

Jodi Picoult has once again pulled a controversial topic that is front and center in today's news and managed to give readers a glimpse into a perspective that may differ from their own. No matter where one falls on the pro-life/pro-choice spectrum, Picoult has written a character from that POV. Understanding the choices of a doctor, a nurse, a father, and women who utilize Women's Health Centers for many reasons, not just abortions, help make what some deem a political issue into a human issue. The story evolves backward as we learn what brought each person to the center on this day. The text is often not easy, but it's thought-provoking, emotional, and raw.

As a fan of Jodi Picoult's books, I was intrigued by the book description and was eager to read this! Without a doubt, yet again, Jodi kept me wanting to finish the book fast because it was just that good.

The story unravels backwards with you knowing who the main characters are. You learn their stories of why they were at "The Center" with one character who you realize is the whole reason of why the book is set up the way it is.

The book touches upon pro-life and pro-choice and gives you a spark of light of how to see things in a different perspective. It was very eye opening and can create dialogue of these hard hitting topics that affect men, women, and even the unborn child.

Jodi did an amazing job with her researching for this book and I commend her for doing so because I am sure as woman who had 3 pregnancies herself, this task was not easy to take on but I am so glad that she put this book out there for everyone to read.

A spark of light, by Jodi Picoult, is everything you would expect from one of her books. The characters are well developed and like able, and they are all also realistic, as if they could be people in your very own life. The plot follows a hot button topic, abortion, and is able to give you difffering views in a non-judge mental way. I really enjoyed how the book, which takes place over the course of an afternoon, shifts perspectives of characters, really allowing you to see the book and topic through another’s eyes. If you are a realistic fiction fan, or a reader of women’s fiction or drama, you will love this book!

A Spark of Light

Jodi Picoult shines a light on a controversial issue hoping to spark conversation and understanding.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
The day starts like any other at the Center in Jackson, Mississippi. The women’s reproductive health service clinic offers care to anyone who passes through its door. Later in the morning, a desperate and distraught gunman, George Goddard bursts in, opens fire, and takes everyone inside hostage. His daughter had recently had an abortion. After rushing to the scene Hugh McEIroy, a police hostage negotiator, sets up a command center and begins making plans to communicate with the gunman. As McEllroy’s phone vibrates with incoming texts, he glances at it and discovers, Wren, his 15-year-old daughter, and his sister, Bex, are also inside the clinic. And they are not alone. With them are the African-American traveling doctor, a heroic nurse, a older gyn patient, a woman who has come to terminate her pregnancy, and a under-cover pro-life protestor.

When his daughter was younger, George had read to her from the Bible, instead of fairytales. Some stories, he knew, just don’t have happy endings. Better for Lil to understand that love was about sacrifice. That what looks like carnage, from a different angle, might be a crusade.

REVIEW
A SPARK OF LIGHT is a compelling story that starts at its end. In chapter one it’s 5pm and the people in the Center have been held at gunpoint for most of the day. Several of the hostages are injured and several others are dead. The succeeding chapters are structured backwards in hourly increments with each chapter detailing the thoughts and actions of each of the people in the clinic. While the backward time structure is creative and unique, it makes for a very difficult read, feeling choppy and disjointed. But keep going.

Jodi Picoult’s writing is impressively direct on such a controversial subject. Using the multiple father-daughter relationships as part of the story adds a nice sentimental touch. Picoult’s research had her talking to people on both sides of the abortion and contraception issue. She is hopeful that this book will inspire debate and conversation. You have to commend her efforts. Her epilogue provides some sobering facts and statistics.

Author Jodi Picoult is the author of twenty-four novels, many which have been New York Times bestsellers, including A Spark of Light She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“We are all drowning slowly in the tide of our opinions, oblivious that we are taking on water every time we open our mouths.”


Publisher Ballantine Books
Published October 2, 2018
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

The day starts out as usual at the women’s center in Jacksonville, Mississippi. New clients are coming for their pre abortion information sessions and testing and the usual protestors are gathered on the streets outside the clinic. Then the unusual happens. A man named George Goddard stands at the door to the clinic buzzing to gain entrance. Thinking that he is there to accompany a patient, the receptionist activates the locked door so he can enter. Unfortunately, he happens to have a gun and is on a mission to end the activity at the center.

The story centers on Wren, the fifteen-year-old daughter of a police hostage investigator, who is visiting the clinic to get birth control advice. Among the others who are in danger in the clinic are Wren’s aunt, a pro-life protestor masquerading as a patient, a woman who has just terminated her pregnancy, and the staff.

While the book is about both sides of the abortion issue, it is also about how those with different viewpoints are able to accept one another in spite of their differences. The significance of good family relationships is another key topic, particularly the bond between father and daughter.

Picoult has chosen to tell the story in reverse order working her way backwards through the hours of the confrontation. In so doing she eventually reveals the reasons as to why each of the individuals has come to the clinic. I feel the reverse narration complicates the reader’s ability to know and understand the characters and the timeline, thus making the reading experience a slightly less rewarding.


As she addresses both sides of the controversial abortion issue, Picoult presents many facts indicating that she has thoroughly researched a contentious topic. However, because of this scrutiny, I feel that the book gets somewhat weighed down and sluggish with too many factual details thus making the storyline itself less central.

In typical Picoult style the novel addresses a difficult subject matter while it narrates a compelling story and offers a surprise in the end. But in the end the positives in the book outweigh the negatives making Spark of Light a meaningful, thought provoking and engaging read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read the advanced copy of the eBook from which this review is written.

This is another remarkable book by Jodi Picoult, this time on the subject of the ongoing conflict between those who champion pro-life and those who champion pro-choice.

When Hugh McElroy, a hostage negotiator in the deepest of the Deep South, is called to the scene of a hostage situation, he doesn’t know what he’s walking into. He soon finds out that a man, George,has barged into a women’s health center and has shot and killed a few staff members, injured other staff, and injured other bystanders, and that one of the women wounded badly is his sister. The hostage taker has been convinced to let her leave and go to the hospital. Hugh is confused, until she tells him that his 16-year old daughter, who she’d accompanied to the Center to get birth control pills, is one of the hostages.

The story oozes out like blood from a seeping wound. Told in reverse, from the end of the hostage taking to its beginning, I was rapidly drawn in to the multiple dramas and backstories that are the heart and soul of this striking and timely drama. As the retrospective plays itself out, the reader sees the synchronistic and serendipitous parallels between the narratives of Hugh and his daughter, Wren, and George and his daughter, Lil. Hugh is outside and his daughter inside, George is inside and his daughter’s whereabouts are unknown until the surprise ending.

There are other twists to this story that I will not reveal as they are spoilers. This is a book for which a strong stomach (abortions described in detail) and an open heart (because heartbreak and fear and sheer grit are at the core of the novel) are required.

I loved this book and highly recommend it.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

A Spark Of Light by Jodi Picoult is another novel that her followers and avid readers will enjoy.
This novel opens with a hostage takeover at a local center for women.
Once again.....Ms. Picoult touches full force on controversial issues some women must face.
The author always does her homework on the issues she addresses. This is why her novels are so well loved.
I must be honest in stating that I wasn’t a fan of her reverse timeline. Other than that... it was a great read.
Thank you to Random House Publishing House~Ballantine via NetGalley for a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
Don’t forget to add this to your TBR list.

4.5 Brilliant and Harrowing Stars* (rounded up)

With “A Spark of Light” Jodi Picoult does it again! This time however, the path she takes to get to the finish line is a little different.

As we all know, Jodi Picoult is no stranger to controversy. Nor does she shy away from topics that others would never conceive of. One of her many talents lies in her ability to remain neutral while weaving stories about the most contentious of subjects. This is one of those times.

In “A Spark of Light,” several women find themselves in a bad situation. They are either there by choice or by need. The end result however, is the same. A gunman has arrived at “The Center” (a women’s reproductive health clinic), and he has a bone to pick.

Hugh is the hostage negotiator and he is trying to calm George Godfrey, the gunman down, while also trying to keep it together himself. Why, you ask? Both Hugh’s teenage daughter, Wren and his sister Bex, are inside and he doesn’t know why. Will it become a choice they live to regret?

Janine is a Pro-Lifer. Whatever her reasons were for going to the clinic got thrown out the window when Joy, a woman who just had an abortion, needed help. Can Janine and Joy put their views aside and help each other during this trying time?

Dr. Ward is the Clinic OB-GYN. He is also a Pro-Lifer, who has made it his life’s work to help women get abortions safely, when the alternative is unthinkable. Now it is his life that hangs in the balance.

Izzy is a nurse at the Clinic. She is doing her best to calm everyone down in the face extreme danger.

Beth is underage. In Mississippi, having an abortion under the age of Eighteen without the consent of a parent or a legal guardian is Illegal. Beth had a choice to make and now she is paying the ultimate price.

“A Spark of Light” is one of Jodi Picoult's most challenging and controversial books to date. Abortion is a very hot topic in the United States. You can’t turn on the news, flip open a newspaper or search the internet without the topic cropping up. Everyone I know feels passionately about this subject, I know I do. That said, in this book, Jodi Picoult does a brilliant job of keeping her thoughts neutral, making it such that you feel for each person and each party (whether it’s Pro-Life or Pro-Choice) and have more compassion for everyone involved and that is one heck of a feat. Ms. Picoult accomplished the same achievement in one of my favorite novels of hers, “Small Great Things” and that speaks volumes.

“A Spark of Light” was told by multiple points of view, in reverse chronological order, starting with 6 p.m. and working backwards to 5 p.m., then 4. p.m., and 3 p.m.,.. all the way back to 8 a.m. Personally, I felt that this created a different type of tension for each of the characters versus other novels. I didn’t know how they ended up that in that time or place or what their individual situation was. Going back in time left me more curious, scared and wondering, heart beating faster, teeth chattering. Wren, Hugh, Joy and Beth!! These are characters in whom I became fully invested. Simply put, my heart ached each time theirs did.

Certain moments, were expected and then BOOM! Eyes wide.. HEART freaking BURSTING out of my chest. Jodi Picoult got me. Again. To say I loved this is an understatement. It was powerful, breathtaking, brilliant.
This is a novel which I highly recommend, for the skillful writing, the way in which Ms. Picoult is able to write about challenging subjects without taking a side and for the brilliant characters whose hearts beat in tune with mine.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Jodi Picoult for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley, Goodreads, Amazon and Twitter on 10.14.18.

This is the first book I’ve read of Jodi Picoult. I’ve heard great things of this author, and this book did not disappoint. This book starts in reverse order. It opens with a shooter in an abortion clinic and then goes backwards in time learning the background of the characters and how they got there. It kept me interested from the beginning to the very end. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Abortion has divided us as a nation into what seems to be two camps, either it seems you are pro abortion or you are against it. It is an issue that has been fought over ever since the controversial Roe vs Wade decision in 1973. Never one to shy away from a contentious subject, Jodi Picoult tackles the question of abortion on in her new book, A Spark of Light.

It is hard to keep your head clear and read a book such as this, and try not to judge what the author says and feels. It is quite evident that Ms Picoult falls on the side of abortion in her treatment of this topic. We do, in her characters, see those who are present in a clinic waiting either for their abortions or looking to prepare for one when a gunman, purported to be pro life enters the clinic kills two people and then holds the others hostage. A negotiator from the police department is called to the scene, not realizing at first that his daughter and his aunt are inside that clinic, the aunt wounded by the gunman and his daughter hiding in a closet. It is a tense climate, one where the negotiator has more than a job in his mind, his beloved daughter is inside and he must save her.

What I appreciated about the book was the handling of this disputed topic. It is one we see so often in the news as one side accuses the other with no real solutions to this quagmire we find ourselves in. Should women have rights...absolutely, should the unborn have rights..well there lies the issue does it not? “We are all drowning slowly in the tide of our opinions, oblivious that we are taking on water every time we open our mouths.”

I have always thought the strength in Ms Picoult's writing was her ability to do just that write a story that moved you from one point to another. Unfortunately for me, this book fell a bit short in that. I found the story jumped around too much, it was like static you hear and then wonder why it happened. There was too much back and forthing in the book causing me at times to be confused, asking myself huh where are we, who are we portraying? I never expected this book to change my opinion about abortion. I don't really think any book could. I just believe that this subject was a bit marred by the unevenness of the telling, the format not being conducive to this hot button topic, and for those reasons, I am somewhat disappointed.

Thank you to Jodi Picoult, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.

It is an average day at the Center. Women are there for a variety of reasons, one of which may be an abortion. Everyone’s life is turned upside down when a gunman enters the facility, opens fire and decides to take hostages. The local hostage negotiator quickly gets to the scene to assess the situation and soon discovers his 15-year old daughter is inside. He doesn’t know why Wren is there but he is fully invested in the outcome. Inside are also a nurse, a hurt woman, a doctor, a pro-life woman who is disguised as a patient, a person who was there for her own abortion and the gunman.

A Spark of Light is a realistic fiction story that will test reader’s opinions and give many people a variety of sides to consider. Picoult has chosen a writing style that takes some time to understand since the story slowly tells about events backward. I personally found this style distracting, but as a literary device, it was very successful. The action is intense; the story is not easy to read and will definitely give readers insight into a variety of viewpoints. A Spark of Light should not be picked up as a quick read but should be chosen with the foreknowledge that not everyone feels the same way as they do about a topic, especially abortion.

A really thought provoking book no matter which side of the abortion argument you are on. The author's note brought it all together with facts and statistics comparing abortion rates in the US to other developed nations. I can definitely see using this as a book club book to start a conversation between pro-life and pro-choice advocates.

This novel was an intense read with surprising events throughout the story! I liked the way so many different emotions were portrayed as we get to know the different characters throughout the pages. The story is about one day at the Center, a reproductive health services clinic. The day is told backwards of what happens this day. A gunman has come into the clinic and taken the people hostage. The police hostage negotiator on the scene soon finds out that his own fifteen-year-old daughter is one of the hostages. Among the other people inside the Center are a doctor, a nurse, a pro life protestor disguised as a patient, and a young woman who is there to get an abortion. The women inside the Center this day all have their own reasons for being there. And they all have their own stories that will be told throughout the pages as the day goes on. But their lives will be joined together this day after the gunman comes into the building. There are so many issues that are addressed throughout this book. Pregnancy and abortion, and women’s rights and options are addressed. The relationships between mothers and fathers and their children are a strong part of the story, as well as so many larger issues. But even more important, we see these issues on a personal level through each person’s story.

Jodi Piccoult has a way of writing about controversial topics and invoking beautiful conversations. This latest novel is no exception. Abortion is a hot button topic and has been for many years. I did not find the story to be a solicitor of anger; or take one side over the other. I really was invested in this story and its conclusion.
What I find interesting and had a bit of a hard time getting used to was the fact that the story was told backwards. It took a while to get a grip on that but once I did, I was in it.
Hugh’s role in this book as not only the hostage negotiator but a parent and sibling to two of the hostages was a twist to the “regular” trope of hostage negotiator. It was so well done.
I must confess that I have already gone out and purchased a beautiful hardback edition for my bookshelves. This is up there with my other favorite Jodi Picoult novel, Nineteen Minutes.

This book handles a controversial subject so well, treating both sides with empathy. The story is told backwards which seemed confusing at first but then is becomes a crucial storytelling component as the characters motivations and backstories are gradually revealed as time ticks backward. The characters are believable and their stories are told well. This book made me cry. I thought it was outstanding.

Jodi Picoult is no stranger to tackling tough subjects. This particular one deals with abortions, women and guns. It is set in a reproductive health clinic. Staff and clients are being held as hostages. Negotiator, Hugh McElroy arrives at the scene and finds out that his sister and daughter are in the clinic. This further complicates the situation and Hugh is going to do whatever it takes to make sure his daughter and sister make it out alive.

Picoult gives the reader information on who the characters are and why they are at the center that day. Their perspectives and stories are just as important as the main characters. They were well developed and left me wanting to know more about them. I want to know more about what happens to them and their plight in life. I particularly liked the major twist. It left me wanting to know more!

This book is a bit different from, Picoults others in that is starts with the ending. Picoult has definitely done her research and presents a well written story. This book is emotional and shows both sides of the story. It's a powerful and thought provoking read.

My only complaint was the cover of the novel. I don't care much for it and had it not been a book by Picoult, I wouldn't have given in a second glance.

* I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I didn't care for this book. And it pains me to say this because I'm a fan of Jodi Picoult, Small Great Things is a favorite of mine. However, I found this one quite boring and the fact that it was written in reverse chronological order made it very confusing. I really didn't enjoy it and therefore won't be recommending it.

"It stood to reason that both life and death began with a spark of light"


5 Powerful & Thought Provoking Stars

It's a fall day and women are driving from all over the state to The Center for Women in Jackson Mississippi because it is one of the few places that women in the state can go to receive care. This includes birth control, cancer checks, ultrasounds and yes, abortions. Mississippi has the strictest law (15 weeks) that you can have one. Outside the doors, there are protesters everyday trying to change minds.

Wren, a high school student goes there with her Aunt Bex to receive some care. All of a sudden a man comes barreling in and shoots the owner. He then goes on to try and shoot the doctor and any nurses that are there. This turns into a hostage situation and among them are cancer patients, women who recently had abortions, women there for birth control and women there for exams. The next few hours the hostages try to work together to save each other but also learn about each other and share experiences. Justine, a pro-life advocate shares her stories and secrets and Izzy, a nurse who ends up taking care of some of the shot patients also shares stories while trying to save lives. The real question is, is there a right side to this argument?

Regardless of your stance on abortion, I think that this book does a really great job of showing both sides of the table. That's one thing I love about Jodi's books. She always completes such throughout research when writing her books and tries to show both sides of the issue at hand. This book is not overly emotional but it definitely stirs up some internal emotions based on what side of the issue you fall on.

One theme I loved about this book was the Father and Daughter relationship. There are two main Father/Daughter relationships throughout the book and they were similar in many ways but at the end they became complete opposites. This book made me think about my Dad and what he would have done if he was put in either of their situations. Regardless of what each Dad chose, I felt they were acting on their own instincts to do what they thought was "right" for their daughters.

The book is written from almost finish to start. I say almost because there's a short epilogue at the end to finish the story. Some people have criticized this writing and said it "gave away" the story but I understand why Picoult wrote it that way. I actually thought the suspense and emotions built as we continued to go back. A lot of the time I was asking myself "What made them do this or that?" "Why did they choose this path?" "What happened in their past?" As the story continues to go back all of these things reveal themselves and it all comes together. I personally liked it.

Also....the ending. I said WHAT twice. Even though this is definitely not a thriller or suspense novel, Picoult always puts a few twists at the end. Gah, I just love her writing. The topics she tackles and the balance of storytelling is unbeatable. Can you tell she's my favorite author? :)

All you Picoult fans, pick it up (if you haven't already). Those who are on the fence - read it. It's a winner!